Clam for dredges.



no. 702,629. Patented lune n. |902.

E. cHAuuETT-E.

SLAM FOR DREDGES.

(Application led Feb. 25. 1902.)

3 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

xywdnuentoz TH: .wowwls Pcftks co PHOTO-LINO., WASHINGTON, n. t;

Patented June I7, |902.

E. CHAQUETTE.

SLAM FOR DBEDGES.

(Application led Feb. 25, 1902.)

3 Shasta-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

@5% J Sttoznu w Iig.. 5mm/.coz 2z 52%,.

no. 702,629. E. cHAnuETTE.

CLM! FUR DREDl'ES.

' (Application led Feb. 25, 1902.) (llo Model.) 3 Sheets-SheetA 3.

rammed June vI7, |902.

rus sums ravens co Fncncxu'rua, WASHINGTON, n. cA

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EPHRAIEM CHAQUETTE, OENEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK.

CLAN! FOR DREDGES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 702,629, dated J' une17, 1902.

Application filed February 25,1902.` Serial No. 95,613. (No model.)

To a/Z whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EPHRAIEM CHAQUETTE, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of New Rochelle, county of Westchester,State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clams for Dredges,of which the following is a speciiication.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved clam for dredgingpurposes which shall be more eeotive and simple in its operation thanhas heretofore been thefcase.

My invention relates to that class of clam which is opened and closed bymeans of compressed air, steam, or suitable gases, but may also beoperated hydraulically, if preferred.

To this end my invention consists in a shell composed of two hingedportions pivoted upon a suitable frame, a guide-rod mounted upon saidframe, a cylinder loosely mounted upon said guide-rod near one end andpivoted to one of said hinged portions of the shell, a piston looselymounted upon said guide-rod near the other end and pivoted to the otherhinged portion of the shell and adapted to Work in said cylinder, andsuitable mechanism for admitting Water, steam, compressed air, or gas tothe cylinder on one side of the piston to open the clam and on the otherside to close the same.

One form of my invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure l is a side view. Fig. 2 is a front view. Fig. 3 is a topplan. Y Same letters indicate similar parts in the different figures.

A is the clam-frame,centrally supported by the ropes b b b2 from thepulleys c c c2, journaled in the upper part of the dredge-frame andcoiled upon suitable drums (not shown) located upon the dredge. Theouter ropes b b2 are fastened to the outer ends of the crossbar d, whichforms part of the clam-frame A; but the middle rope b is connected tothe slide e, which passes through said cross-bar and is surrounded bythe coiled spring f. This spring controls the admission of thecompressed air, gas, steam, or Water by means of which the clam isopened and closed. The

pipe g, through which this admission takes place, is coiled around thedrum-pulley b3, which may be mounted on the same shaft with the pulleysc c c2 and turned with them, as shown in Fig. l, or upon an independentshaft, as shownin Fig. 2, in which case said shaft also carries thegear-wheel h, which meshes with teeth h', provided for that purpose onthe outer periphery of the pulley c.

The clam Bis preferably ofthe hemispherical type, the two halves ofwhich, C D, are pivoted to the frame A near the center of the lowercross-bar c', as'shown at j j. The clam is shown closedin theI fulllines of Fig. 2 and open in the dotted lines. 4

The opening and closing of the clamis brought about as follows: Withintheclamframe A is situated a guide-rod Zo, carried by the arms Z Z2, of-which Z2 is adapted to slide freely longitudinally along the rod. Athird arm Z hangs upon the rod Zo. y A cylinder E is attached to thearms ZZ', and the piston-,rod F has its outer end journaled in the armZ2. As the piston makes `its backward and forward stroke in the cylinderthe arm Z2 slips along the guide-rod from the position shown in fulllines to that shown in dotted lines, or vice versa. Simultaneously withthis sliding motion the guide-rod, cylinder, and piston move bodily upor down without interfering with their relative horizontal position byreason of their attachment to the hinged halves of the clam-shell, ashereinafter described.

' The cylinder E is provided with the two inlet-ports m fm and withsuitable exhaustports. (Not shown.) The port m is connected bya tube fn,to a three-way cock o,

while the port m is similarly connected therewith by the tube n. Themovements of this three-way cock are determined by the'spring f asfollows: When the tension of said spring is relaxed by the slackening ofthe center rope Z9, the three-way cock is so turned that compressed airor other motive iuid entering through the tube g is directed through thepipe n and port rml against the piston inside the cylinder E and,driving the same before it, causes the piston-rod F to make its inwardstroke. When the spring f is contracted by the tightening of the rope h,the motive fluid entering the three-way cock o through the pipe g andbranch pipe g is directed through the tube n' and port m into thecylinder E and causes the piston-rod F to make its re- IOO IAS

turn stroke. These in and out strokes are utilized for the opening andshutting of the clam as follows: The arm Z2, which bears the piston-rod,is swiveled at p to the outer end of the half C of the clam B, While thecylinder E carries a lug q, which is swiveled at p to the other half, D,of the clam. The instroke of the piston tends to draw up the outer endof the half or hinged portion of the shell C, to which the arm Z2 isswiveled. As this cannot take place Without raising bodily the pistonand everything attached to it, owing to the fact that the hinged portionC swings radially from the point j on the fixed bar, it follows that thecylinder E and the things attached thereto, including the other hingedportion of the shell D, must rise at the same time. In this Way the armsZ and Z2 draw toward each other along the guide-rod 7c as the piston-rodf enters the cylinder E and the whole structure, as it Were,climbs theclam-frame to the position shown in dotted lines, by which time the clamis Wide open. The reverse operation takes place When the supply ofmotive fluid is shifted to the otherside of the piston and the clamcloses into the position shown in full line.

It is to be understood that the claln goes down into the Water open,gets its load in closing, goes up closed, and is opened again at anydesired height to discharge its contents into a scow or other receptacleplaced to receive it.

To insure the winding and unwinding of the feed-pipe g Withoutinterfering With the proper feeding of the motive fluid is fed to'mounted upon said guide-rod and pivoted to one ot' said hinged portionsof the shell, a piston adapted to Work in said cylinder and an armloosely mounted on said guide-rod near the other end and pivoted to theother hinged portion of the shell, the said arm supporting the outer endof said piston, and means substantially as described for operating saidpiston-rod, so as to open and close said clam.

EPHRAIEM CHAQUETTE.

l/Vitnesses:

AUGUSTA SCHNUCK, CHAPEL S. CARTER.

